Hong Kong’s M+ Museum to open with six thematic shows
Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture will open on 12 November in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, with six themed shows spanning art, design and architecture
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In a milestone moment for the Asian art scene, the much-anticipated M+ Museum will open its doors on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour waterfront on 12 November 2021. Set to become a destination for local, regional, and international visitors, M+ seeks to foster exchange between Hong Kong and the global art community.
Designed by Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup, the 65,000 sq m M+ building – with terracotta tile-clad tower – is already one of Hong Kong’s most iconic architectural landmarks.
The museum’s opening displays will see 1,500 works shown across 33 galleries and 17,000 sq m of exhibition space. Six thematic exhibitions have been curated from M+’s multidisciplinary contemporary collection, which spans conceptual art, moving image, design, architectural projects and archival objects.
Urbanus, Urban Village: Gangxia Village, Shenzhen (2004–2005) model 2005 Plastic foam, plastic, Plexiglas, and paint M+, Hong Kong © Urbanus
In the Main Hall Gallery, ‘Hong Kong: Here and Beyond’ traces the city’s transformation and unique visual culture from the 1960s to the present. ‘M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation’ surveys the development of contemporary Chinese art from the 1970s to the 2000s. In the East Galleries, ‘Things, Spaces, Interactions’ focuses on the last 70 years of international architecture and design and ‘
Individuals, Networks, Expressions’ occupies the East Galleries and explores post-war international visual art told from an Asian perspective.
Elsewhere, ‘Antony Gormley: Asian Field’ sees an installation of tens of thousands of clay figurines. The work was created by the British sculptor in 2003 with over 300 members of a Guangdong village. Finally, in the Courtyard Galleries, ‘The Dream of the Museum’ explores M+’s distinctive vision for global conceptual art anchored in Asia.
Antony Gormley, Asian Field 2003 Clay. M+, Hong Kong Museum purchase and gift of anonymous Hong Kong donor, 2015 © Antony Gormley
‘The official opening of M+ marks a major milestone in delivering the vision for the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District as a vital contribution to the future of Hong Kong, building on its reputation as one of the world’s leading arts and cultural hubs. We will make M+ a must-visit destination for local, regional, and international visitors,’ says Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
Beyond its core exhibition galleries, M+ will present a series of commissions and displays throughout its public spaces, including the M+ Facade, the Grand Stair, the Studio, the Roof Garden, and the Found Space. The M+ Pavilion – which served as the primary venue for M+ exhibitions while the museum was being constructed – will continue to host independent exhibitions and cultural activities in the Art Park after the M+ Museum opens.
‘I firmly believe that the future history of the art museum will be written to a significant degree in Asia,’ says Suhanya Raffel, M+ museum director. ‘Few institutions will be more pivotal to that story than M+, a brand new centre for visual culture and a world-class landmark for a great international city. M+ delivers the stories from our part of the world, told by voices participating in and influencing the global conversation.’
The Atrium, 2/F, M+, Hong Kong. Virgile Simon Bertrand Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron
Samson Young, Muted Situations #22: Muted Tchaikovsky’s 5th 2018, HD video, eight-channel sound installation, and carpet 45 min. Courtesy of the artist. SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium and Engagement, installation view at the Biennale of Sydney, 16 March–11 June 2018. Courtesy of the artist. Image: Brett East
The Main Hall, M+, Hong Kong. Virgile Simon Bertrand Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron
Cao Fei, Whose Utopia 2006. Single-channel digital video (colour, sound). M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation © Cao Fei
The Horizon Terrace, M+, Hong Kong. Virgile Simon Bertrand Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron
Fang Lijun 1995.2, 1995 Oil on canvas. M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation © Fang Lijun
INFORMATION
M+ Museum will open on 12 November 2021 in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, mplus.org.hk (opens in new tab)
Harriet Lloyd-Smith is the Arts Editor of Wallpaper*, responsible for the art pages across digital and print, including profiles, exhibition reviews, and contemporary art collaborations. She started at Wallpaper* in 2017 and has written for leading contemporary art publications, auction houses and arts charities, and lectured on review writing and art journalism. When she’s not writing about art, she’s making her own.
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